A Man Alone (episode)
After a man is murdered behind locked doors, investigation reveals that the only person who could have committed the crime is Odo, station Chief of Security. Summary Doctor Bashir finds Dax playing with an Altonian brain teaser, a puzzle responding to neural theta waves. Julian tries to play, but loses in a matter of seconds; he isn't too disappointed, though, because he seems much more interested in Dax than the game. She tries to warn him about Trill relationships, but is saved by the appearance of Benjamin Sisko, picking her up for dinner. In Quark's Place, Odo marvels at Miles O'Brien arguing with his wife Keiko, who isn't happy aboard Deep Space 9. With no need for a botanist on DS9, she doubts that either she or her daughter will be happy on the station. Odo, who reveals to Quark that he has never "coupled", can't understand why humanoids place so much emphasis on mating rituals. While trying to get to know Dax (whom he knew as Curzon), Benjamin suddenly announces to Jadzia that she is his mentor and father-figure. Odo confronts a Bajoran gambler at one of the tables, and they begin to struggle. Benjamin breaks up the fight, but Odo gives the man an ultimatum to leave the station by the next day. He explains to Commander Sisko that the man is Ibudan, a ruthless smuggler and murderer. Odo vows to remove him from DS9, one way or another. As Ibudan enjoys Lauriento massage holoprogram 101A in the holosuite, an intruder sneaks up and fatally stabs him through the heart. Sisko begins a murder investigation, asking Bashir to begin a forensic analysis; he asks Major Kira Nerys to delay all departures from the station until further notice. Odo, as security chief of DS9, will be the lead investigator into the crime. However, the evidence against Odo himself begins to mount, including the struggle he had with the victim soon before his death. Also, with no other DNA present at the scene, it appears only a shapeshifter could have carried out the act. Odo, who must regenerate every 18 hours, was shapeless in a pail when the murder occurred, and therefore has no alibi. Jake and Nog release some Garanian bolites in the promenade, quickly infecting two people who harmlessly turn blue and yellow for a moment. A security officer catches the naughty pair, bringing them to Sisko's office for discipline. Also in Sisko's office is Keiko, lobbying to open a school aboard the station. She notes there are about a dozen children on the station of school age, and all she needs is a location and some computers, which Sisko is more than happy to provide. Keiko convinces Rom, who is both Nog's father and Quark's brother, to enroll his son in her school, so Nog can learn commerce (a Ferengi virtue) with other cultures. Rom agrees, but doesn't want his son to have anything to do with humans, other than what is absolutely necessary. Civilians aboard DS9 start to question Odo's guilt publicly; they also want to hold him accountable as a collaborator, since Odo was the security chief of DS9 under Cardassian rule. Quark, who was also on DS9 under Cardassian rule, comes to Odo's defense. Nevertheless, a group of Bajorans confronts Sisko with their suspicions on the Changeling. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, Sisko reluctantly relieves Odo of his duties temporarily until the murder investigation is concluded. Returning to find his quarters vandalized, Odo begins to feel like a pariah. As Sisko explains to Bashir that he is not interested "that way" in Dax, Miles helps Keiko open her new schoolhouse; he has replicated an old-fashioned schoolhouse bell. He is interrupted by an angry mob, on their way to corner Odo, wishing to take matters into their own hands; O'Brien calls Ops for help defusing the situation. As Sisko tries to calm the angry mob, Doctor Bashir and Dax appear, announcing that they have a breakthrough in the case: it turns out that Ibudan wasn't murdered; instead, it was Ibudan's clone that was murdered. Now it all makes sense to Odo; Ibudan killed his own clone, but framed it to look as if he were the victim and Odo the killer. Now Odo concentrates on finding Ibudan, who turns out to be masquerading as a traveler booking passage on a ship; Odo captures him as he boards the ship for departure from DS9. Ibudan is turned over to the Bajoran authorities for prosecution of murdering his own clone. Keiko assumes her new role as teacher, beginning her first lesson by teaching Jake, Nog, and a handful of other children about Bajoran history. *''Commander's log, stardate 46421.5. Ibudan has been turned over to the Bajoran authorities just hours after his clone gained consciousness and began a new life. The perpetrators of the mob violence have retreated into their own business. To my knowledge, Odo has received no apologies. Meanwhile, life on the station has begun to return to normal. '' Memorable Quotes "You're Odo's worst enemy." "I guess that's the closest thing he has in this world to a friend." : - Vigilante and Quark "Killing your own clone is still murder." : - Odo Background Information Keiko and Molly O'Brien make their first appearances on DS9 in this episode. This was the first regular episode of the series to be made, but "Past Prologue" was chosen to be broadcast first. While investigating Ibudan's death, Odo views his schedule which contains an in-joke: it shows that he travelled from Alderaan Spaceport. Alderaan is of course the planet destroyed by the Death Star in Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope. Links and References Guest Stars *Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien *Aron Eisenberg as Nog (Misspelled as Aron Eisenerg) *Max Grodénchik as Rom *Edward Laurance Albert as Zayra *Stephen James Carver as Ibudan *Tom Klunis as Lamonay S. *Peter Vogt as Bajoran Man Co-Stars * Scott Trost as Bajoran officer * Patrick Cupo as Bajoran man * Kathryn Graf as Bajoran woman * Hana Hatae as Molly O'Brien * Diana Cignoni as Dabo girl * Judi Durand as Computer Voice References Alderaan; azna; bioregenerative field; champagne; electrophoretic analysis; Gocke; juro; karo-net; Korris I; Kran-Tobal prison; Moudakis; Rhern; Rujian; Rujian Steeplechase; Santina, Della; seofurance; tennis; Yadozi desert; Zarro. Man Alone, A de:Unter Verdacht es:A Man Alone nl:A Man Alone